Nothing to be Done About it
by RedPineapple27
Summary: There really wasn't a single damn thing Lavi could do about it. Laven.
1. Nothing to be Done About it

**Just an eventual Laven (eventual meaning by the end of the chapter) fic.**

**Might write another chapter if the inspiration bunny visits. **

**Thanks to Lai Jun Chen for beta-ing this **

**Rated M for Yaoi fun. Don't like, don't read. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned DGM I wouldn't be writing fanfics. **

Lavi was frustrated.

He was bored out of his mind and could sense nothing on the metaphorical horizon which would alleviate his sorry state. Everyone who he found even remotely interesting was either on a mission or occupied by some kind of official or administrative duty. Even Bookman was busy: Chief Komui had needed information on something or other and had called his laconic master away.

Sighing, Lavi cast himself down upon his messy bed, letting his limbs fall as they would and allowing his sigh to lengthen into a drawn out huff. His left hand draped across his groin and he warmed a little at the unconscious suggestion. Bookman _was _out after all, and experience had taught the exorcist that he wouldn't be returning anytime soon. And it had been a while, sad proof in the way his currently flaccid friend was beginning to take interest at the barest suggestion from _his own hand. _

He glanced toward the door, not really expecting anything about the slab of wood to have changed, but out of force of habit, weirdly needing to confirm that yes, the door was closed. He wriggled around a bit, shuffling up to the bed head and moving under the blankets; if only to give him the 'I was asleep' option, should he be interrupted.

Rolling onto his side and staring hard at the drawn curtains, Lavi began to let his mind drift. When left idle like this, it never took particularly long for his teenaged mind to shift to sex. He sifted through the snapshots of potential fantasies his mind presented without really _wanting _any of them. Boobs, bigger boobs, blonde Finder he'd had a short term crush for, boobs. Mentally slapping himself for unoriginality, Lavi began to concentrate on the blonde Finder, Amy. Feeling vaguely like some sexist pervert, he began to augment her breasts and make her shorter. Lavi had always liked being the taller partner in his severely limited history of sexual escapades.

Closing his eyes, Lavi focused on his fantasy: mentally, he strode into the showers, shucking off his once fluffy towel and walking up behind a fictional Amy of ridiculous proportions. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her neck. She turned around to face him, the pink nipples bouncing on the ends of her enormous breasts rubbing against his navel causing a lethargic blood rush to start. Entirely too lethargic, real time Lavi thought, wondering why this wasn't working properly. In his fantasy, Amy began to kiss him. Hard, fevered kisses that were doing more for her than for him. Trying to get into the scene, Lavi slid his hand up her wetly slick stomach, cupping her left breast quickly before moving up to thumb the nipple.

Amy groaned, the blood flow increased, enough to get him to half mast, though not enough to keep himself from being as frustrated as his fantasy allowed. Fantasy Lavi continued teasing moans from an unrealistically loose Amy as real time Lavi tried to figure out what was wrong. A straight teenage boy having a fantasy involving a hot, naked women who was allowing him (if only in his own mind) to ravish her. Where were his damned hormones when he needed them?

He'd just have to get more into it, Lavi decided. Kissing his companion with more force and sliding his other hand up to her other breast, he rubbed her nipples. Frustration led him to knead them more violently than he would if it were real time Lavi and not fantasy Lavi who was watching the way her soft flesh bulged over his hands. Hands which were, he thought, entirely too small for the current task. Amy, however, neither noticed nor cared, if her response was any indication. Pressing herself forward, she muttered something he didn't care about into his shoulder before returning to his mouth.

Still not getting the response he wanted, he decided to try something new.  
>"Amy..."<br>"Mmmm."  
>"I want you to suck me off."<br>"Anything for you, Lavi."

The voice which Amy used then, not really much lower, but definitely more masculine and _familiar_ jarred Lavi a little, though not enough for him to open his eye to investigate, he liked this voice better. He closed his eyes as she began to kiss her way down him, pushing herself against his form until she reached the mess of prickles adorning his favourite area. As she licked around the base, he shoved his hand into her hair, not registering how much shorter and softer it had become.

"Impressive," Amy husked in her new voice, "Thicker than I imagined."

With eyes still shut, lest he ruin what was starting to work, Lavi urged her head up, pressing a kiss to lips that had flattened out and become thinner. Confused, he felt his way up her abdomen, or rather, _his _abdomen. Her inflated chest had shrunk to a flat expanse, featuring the shallow indentations of muscle and rosy twin nipples. He kept his newly opened eyes trained on the chest area, not wanting to raise his head any further for fear of having to admit that this straight teenage boy might not be quite so straight after all.

"Lavi, is something wrong?" whispered the boy opposite him, and it was definitely a boy, unless Lavi was mistaken about the generous and _attentive_ shaft between his partner's legs.

"N-n-no," Gasped Lavi, as a wet tongue slid over his ear and down his neck, God, had this really been what he'd wanted the whole time? Though, if he'd known how sinfully _good_ it would be, worlds better then with even the most flexible of female imaginations, Lavi would certainly have been doing this from the beginning.

Taking a breath, Lavi brought his eyes to the pale boy's face. Allen's slate eyes stared back, so foggy with lust that Lavi felt his blood begin to gallop to his now fully awake member. Sliding his fingers into Allen's damp, snowy hair, he pushed the smaller boy back towards the shower wall. Joining their lips, Lavi gently pushed his arousal into the other boy's, the answering gasp pulling both real time and fantasy Lavi's into pleasure spins.

Real time Lavi decided that now was an ideal time to start paying attention to his neglected erection, which Allen had roused in a way that Amy (real or imagined) never could. Shimmying out of his pants, he used the damp circle on his underwear to spread the slick spot over his hardness. Done with that, he pushed his underwear fully down and kicked it to wherever his pants had landed. Slowly running his hand up his leg, he returned to the imaginary shower.

Allen groaned as Lavi flicked his hips forward to pin the younger exorcist between him and the wall. Bringing his left hand to Allen's chest, he traced a pink nipple, rubbing his fingers in circles before giving the pert bud a gentle squeeze. Allen responded with a sharp thrust, running his hands up Lavi's back. He started as Allen pulled away from his mouth, dropping quickly to the floor and running a hand over his arousal. Lavi moaned when Allen's fist was replaced with a warm, talented mouth. The sight of Allen's look of concentration, adorned with that silken, soaked hair bobbing deftly against his thighs made real time Lavi's balls begin to tighten. He grunted as he used fantasy Allen's willing mouth to inspire his quickening hand. As the younger boy's tongue slid over the slit of fantasy Lavi's cock, real time Lavi felt a salty white mess spill from the end of his weakening hardness, pooling on the mattress beneath him.

Lavi lay still. He had lost his concentration on his fantasy while he was being rocked by his climax. Rolling over, he tried not to think about what getting off on the image of one of his close _male_ friends meant.


	2. Hunger Pangs

Hunger Pangs

**Sorry, I know this was predictable as hell. Fail idea is fail.  
>I was feeling kind of guilty about not updating sooner. I know it's short, but there will (probably) be some naughty fun for everyone's favourite Redhead (and his 'imaginary' Allen) next chapter.<br>Also, this isn't beta'd, so please forgive any mistakes (Again with the guilt.) **

**Disclaimer: If I owned DGM then I wouldn't have to write fanfics. **

Allen Walker was hungry.  
>Not that hungry for him was any kind of surprise, but when amplified to utter starvation and put with a general overtired grumpiness, he was absolutely useless to everyone and himself.<p>

The Order's Science department, however, did not quite grasp this.

"But Allen. . . " came Chief Komui's niggling whine, "There is _no time _for you to be disruptive, if we don't show some progress, my dear sweet Lenalee won't let me work on my Komourin."

"Hungry. . . Need f_ooooood._" Allen gurgled, sinking to the cold floor of the science department. Shouldn't the Order's Chief know that parasite types required near constant feeding?

"Now, Allen. . . " Began the bubbly Chief. "We really do need your cooperation for the development of new anti-. . . " Allen's glare stopped him there, successfully silencing Komui for the next few minutes.

"Hey, Chief, I think we've found our new weapon," called Reever as he shuffled paper over on Komui's desk.

"Yes?" Komui sidled up to the section leader.

"Using the wavelengths that innocence gives off. . . . . " Reever's voice wandered off into the back of Allen's mind. He moaned quietly as the Australian's explanation was replaced with succulent sticks of mitarashi dango can-caning around his mind. Deciding enough was enough, Allen looked cautiously at the science department, all of whom were captivated by their section leader's newly discovered something-or-other. Rising to his feet, he moved to the door, sliding out and flicking it shut just as his stomach renewed its efforts to get him to Jerry's heavenly kitchen.

Allen's stomach seemed to take freedom as an opportunity to give it's rumblings a faster tempo. Sighing in anticipation of lunch, Allen began to jog around the corner in the direction of the cafeteria.

**. . .**

Lavi, having surfaced from his room, had decided that lunch seemed practical. Besides, eating would take his mind off of what he'd just done meant. Which was nothing, as he kept reminding himself.

He lifted a hand to tousle the mussed section of hair that peaked over his habitual green bandana. Smiling at Jerry as he entered the Order's dining hall, Lavi ordered a simple sandwich. After making the regular small talk with the enthusiastic chef, he collected his lunch and moved over to a table on the far side of the near empty room.

Lavi's hands were around his sandwich, lifting it to his mouth when he saw a familiar, pigment challenged head bob in time with hand as he counted all the things he wanted for lunch. _Oh Shit, _Lavi thought as Jerry pointed him out to the British boy. He waved weakly as the younger boy wound his way around the tables to his friend to wait while his mountain of food was prepared. This was going to be awkward as hell.


	3. An Unfortunate Encounter

**Chapter Three : Relapse**

**I lied. There is nothing M rated here, but there IS in the next chapter. I've already written it and I will post tomorrow (or maybe tonight.)  
>Again with the whole 'un-beta'd' deal, hopefully my English isn't too bad.<br>Once again, sorry for a slow update, am completely swamped with h/w at the moment. **

**Disclaimer: Never have I ever (nor will I ever) own DGM.**

"Hey, Lavi." Chirped Allen, as he dropped into the chair opposite the redhead.

"Urgh . . ." Lavi returned, staring hard at his sandwich. Shit, he thought, how in hell was he supposed to look at Allen after what he _did. _

"Uh, Lavi," Allen began. "You okay? You look kind of tense."

"Tense! No, never tense. You know me Allen, and never, with the being tense, absolutely never. . . " Lavi trailed off, having run out of nonsense to spout and cringing into his seat. Now he had another reason to be somewhere else. A small silence stretched across the table, Lavi used the break to gulp his sandwich.

"That's great, Lavi, real good." Allen mumbled with an absentminded smile. Lavi took a cautious look up at his friend. Allen was staring at Jerry's window, obviously waiting for some sign to go and collect the minor banquet he ordered. Lavi sighed as he realised that Allen hadn't heard a word he'd said. Shifting in his seat, he was felt a rush of gratitude to Allen's Innocence, thanks to that he hadn't noticed Lavi's obviously uncomfortableness.

"Hey, Allen." Allen ignored him, staring plaintively over at the Order's cook. Lavi swatted his friend across the table with his napkin, unsure of his reaction if he made actual skin to skin contact with the boy.

"Just go," he said when Allen looked back at him, "You won't be able to comprehend dust until you have some food in you. If you go wait over there, Jerry might even give you something to snack on."

"Thanks, Lavi." Allen grinned at the fellow exorcist, turning Lavi off his sandwich. The snowy haired boy would never guess that Lavi had anything besides his attention span in mind.

Lavi gazed after his friend, trying not to stare at Allen's petite ass. _  
>Dear God that's hot, probably ti- . . no. <em>Lavi decided. _Stopping there. His ass is probably nothing. Because I know nothing about it. _  
><em>But you want to know, <em>whispered his libido. _You have to admit that at least.  
><em>Lavi huffed, for once his sex drive was his more intuitive sector. He nibbled the reminder of his sandwich, noticing the odd taste for the first time, wondering what in hells name he'd asked for as filling in his distraction.

**. . .**

It was late before the redheaded quasi Exorcist arrived at the wooden door of his shared abode. He was tired and in no mood to complete the favour Lenalee had asked of his when she had run up to him as he was leaving Bookman's company in the library for the training rooms.  
><em>Hey, Lavi, <em>even by those words he'd known she wanted something: he was well used to the look her dark eyes got in them when she wanted a favour. _Do you mind taking a message to Allen for me? I'd do it myself, but my brother wants me to leave now for my mission. _He'd said yes of course, at the time he could come up with no plausible excuse to avoid his young colleague.

Lavi leaned against the wooden door that Bookman was doubtlessly on the other side of. Should he enter the room, the Old Panda would give him some mind numbing task. Probably one that required enough concentration to keep his mind away from newly conceived desires. However, delivering Lenalee's message, which had been mercifully scribbled on the back of a napkin, would take barely five minutes and should require few coherent words.

With an overlong sigh, Lavi heaved his slim figure away from the door and shuffled along to Allen's room. It was, Lavi decided, time to stop avoiding the younger boy and prove to himself that last week had been an anomaly. An aberration never to be repeated.

**. . .**

Allen Walker lay in his bed, too cold for his preferred shirtless sleeping state but too close to sleep to find a shirt. He was saved from his ponderings when a knock sounded from his bedroom door. Usually he'd welcome a visit, especially since the hour meant that the visitor would undoubtedly be one of his friends. Tonight, however, he was inclined to nothing other than melting into sleep.

He dragged himself out of his soft bed and shuffled towards the door, not caring enough to dig around in his drawers for a shirt.

"Who is it?" he called, hand poised on the door handle.

"Lavi." Came the reply, Allen hoped that his usually verbose friend wasn't in a talkative mood.

"I can just post the message under the door if you want, you're probably tired. . . " continued the voice, while Allen was tempted to agree, he knew it would be rude. Particularly since he had seen very little of the redhead in the last week. With all the Noah running around these days the Bookman apprentice probably had a lot to do.

"No, come on in, Lavi."

"If you're sure, I really could just lea- " Allen opened the door to Lavi's flushed face.

"Here." The older boy shoved a napkin into the air a few inches east of Allen, turning towards the dark corridor stretching back to his room and taking the first steps of flight. "From Lenalee." he called over his shoulder.

"Lavi, wait." Yelled Allen, even for the ever bizarre teenager this was weird.

"Yeah?" Lavi turned back to Allen and the white haired boy could see how uncomfortable the other boy had grown.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing, couldn't be better. See, I'm great, with the being good and everything. Five by five even."

"Lavi, something's obviously up. Come inside and tell me there if you don't want to say it out here."

". . . Okay." Lavi trudged back, skirting Allen as widely as he could.

"So," began Allen, bending to pick the napkin up off the floor "What's your deal?"

The redhead fiddled with his headband, shucking it off and pushing his hair around. Almost, Allen thought, as if he was trying to hide his face. Which was ridiculous, Lavi had no reason to and as far as Allen knew it wasn't a nervous habit of the boy's.

"The message is from Lenalee, I don't know what it says."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Lavi groaned inwardly at his fellow exorcists words, sure he'd known but couldn't he dream?

"There's no deal, because I'm fine. Absolutely, completely one hundred per cent fine." He hedged. Looking around evasively, eyes refusing to come to Allen's.

Allen stood, walking over to his friend and placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can tell me, Lavi."

**. . .**

Lavi shocked at Allen's touch.

The sight of him, light muscle lines fanning his chest, nipples pert with the sharp air. The smell of the room, heavy musk of growing boy, balanced with clean undertones. The soft tone of his voice made Lavi want to see what other noises that pretty mouth could make and now his touch.

_Allen's touch. _

Allen was touching him and it was too much. He felt his body begin to react and looked down, anywhere to get away from the gentle eyes of the younger boy. Unfortunately, down meant that pale stomach of Allen's. Lavi only just suppressed a purr at the sight, wondering if he'd escape this beautiful hell with any sense unassaulted.

"Well, Allen," he slowed down then, babbling wouldn't help him now. Looking up at Allen he continued, "There's really nothing to tell, I'm just crazy tired with training and the whole Bookman deal, I'm just wiped."

"If you're sure." Allen didn't seem convinced.

"I'm fine, seriously."

"Okay then," Allen seemed ready to drop it. "Night, Lavi."

Smiling at the yawning boy in front of him, Lavi muttered his reply and slunk off into the lightless corridor.


	4. Relapse

**Chapter Four: Relapse. **

**Okay, so maybe it's more of a lime.  
>There will be a decent length lemon as soon as I figure out a way to make Allen plausibly gay (I promise.)<br>Thanks to anyone who's reviewed, it's great to hear from you guys.  
>As per usual, this is un-beta'd, sorry in advance for any mistake I didn't pick up.<strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own DGM. Shocker, I know. **

"I knew you'd come back." Crooned the figure, as he writhed under Lavi. "Or rather, I hoped."

Lavi didn't reply, enjoying how the words went right to his groin. He suctioned his mouth back to the boy beneath him, loving the feeling of hot sweaty skin against his own naked form.

"Ahh . . " gasped Lavi, as Allen's hand pushed its way between their twisted bodies to grope his favourite area. He began to move his tongue against the other boy's lips, begging entry as the hand working over him fell into a rhythm.

He moaned, running the hand that wasn't holding himself up blindly over Allen's chest, searching for a rosy nipple to play with.

"I've always wanted you, Lavi. Every mission, those long carriage rides." Murmured the younger boy into Lavi's shoulder, having broken their kiss. He set to a moan of his own, as Lavi pinched one of the twin spots on his chest.

Lavi opened his eyes then, staring at the other boy and scaring himself with how much he wanted those words to be true.

Leaning down and sliding his tongue back into the other boy's mouth, Lavi pulled them up to sitting. Bringing Allen onto his lap and bucking a little to feel the friction against the other's erection, liking the slicker feel of this more than the hand to shaft contact of earlier. Disengaging his mouth, the redhead bent to suckle a nipple into his mouth, circling the bud with his tongue and biting softly.

Clawing up his back, Allen groaned, leaning into Lavi's mouth. He pushed his hands down the taller boy's back, drawing nonsensical patterns on the other's ass.

Lavi felt himself being tipped back onto the bed and took his mouth away in surprise. The parasite type above him began to kiss him deeply, grinding their hips together.

_Shit, _thought Lavi, _this isn't going to last long._

The rhythm of the friction became erratic as the snowy haired boy bent further to kiss Lavi's bare chest, effectively undoing the older exorcist. With a final few strokes of his calloused hand, Lavi came hard, both to reality and into the sock he'd prepared. He turned his head to bite his pillow, not wanting to moan with the final wave of after-pleasure.

Sighing, Lavi squirmed around the bottom of his bed in search of his baggy sleep pants. Rolling over and desperately trying not to notice how empty and lonely he felt in this one person bed, feeling hopelessly distant from the only person he'd ever really wanted.

**. . .**

(About ten minutes previously.)

When he'd returned to his room, mercifully (and surprisingly) minus one of its inhabitants, Lavi had thrown himself on his bed. Groaning, he'd moved his hand to knead the problem in his nether regions out of frustration. Since when did he pop a boner over a simple shirtless guy? He saw that every day in the Order's communal showers. But Allen (_God, Allen) _had been something different. He'd never reacted that way, that strongly, over a shirtless anything before. He'd never felt that surge of compulsion, never wanted to be with someone, kissing them, holding them, _feeling _them anywhere near as much as he wanted that with Allen.

"So it's just him then." He'd murmured. Knowing the words to be true, despite how much he wished they weren't.


	5. Orders

**Slow update, I know. Blame my exams. Only one more week of school before the holidays, so future updates should be faster. **

**Also, un-beta'd again. No one has complained about my English yet so I probably won't bother getting any of this fic checked. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DGM. I wish just the fact that the fact this is a fanfic and not a plotline could make the disclaimer unnecessary.  
>Also, I don't own Higurashi, the reference is pretty oblique, but I'm just being safe. . . <strong>

**Chapter Five: Orders.**

"Allen, Lavi, Good morning."

The two boys stood in the disarray of Komui Lee's office. Science faculty jogged around them, adding to the tottering pile of papers awaiting their boss' approval and generally making more mess that no one was ever going to clean up.

"Good morning, Chief Komui." intoned the two, syncing their voices in the early morning apathy of not enough sleep.

"I have a mission for you two. Innocence has been discovered in the Japanese village of Shirakawa. The Finder Units have reported a large number of level one Akuma and a few level twos. Now. . . "

Lavi tried to listen, he really did. But having Allen there, so close and corporeal, was quite possibly the worst distraction he'd ever come across. _Hell, if I can't even stand near him, how can I fight by him? I'll get myself killed if I don't figure out a way to be near him without being depraved or going completely dumbstruck. _

_Crap, what about the train ride over? And when we get arrive we'll be rooming together for the next few weeks. Shit. Hopefully the train ride will be long enough to build my resistance or something. _

". . . Any questions?" finished Komui, handing the boys slips of paper with all the basic details written in meticulous printing on them.

Allen shook his head and Lavi was quick to imitate him, hoping that the mission directive Komui had passed to him was as helpful as it usually was.

"You're dismissed then, go pack your things. Transport should be ready in an hour or so."

Turning, Lavi strode out of the office. He moved too quickly to properly avoid some stray papers and earned a few indignant huffs from Science Underlings. He wanted desperately to put off the inevitable contact with Allen for as long as possible, maybe he'd come up with some way to deal with the pigment challenged object of his lust in the meantime.

_Fuck, _he thought, _of __all __the other exorcists to get put with, and Komui goes and picks him. _

Looking up, Lavi found that his hurrying feet had brought him to the door of his room. One annoyed moan and a harsh twist of the doorknob later, he was inside and halfway to his bed, ready to collapse and ignore the world for a while. Falling onto the messy sheets, he was struck with the memory of the last time he had cast himself upon his bed in a similar mood. _And wasn't that the mistake of the year? Probably the stupidest thing I've done recently. . . _

Despite all the trouble that first time with imaginary Allen had caused, he was more than a little tempted to give the pale boy another roll around his bed. Sure, he was pissed off, but his overall mood was a lot closer to frustration and there were ways to channel that.

He rolled onto his stomach, curling a hand in the bed sheets and shoving his head to the side, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

_Okay, _he began, _Allen's here, I'm here, we're . . . half undressed? No, you're naked. You don't have time for foreplay. _

Having conjured up a naked Allen, he mentally shrugged himself out of his own clothes, sinking down in the softer bed of his imagination and pushing his lips to Allen's.

_I wonder why Komui thinks two exorcists are necessary. Allen's one of our strongest, why does he need my help? He's a match for the freaking Noah, a few level twos are nothing, and all he needs to defeat the level ones is his 'Cross Grave' technique. . . it doesn't make sense. _

_NO. Enough. This is a bloody fantasy, not useless speculation. Kissing, groping, hell here be fucking blowjobs but now is not the time for twenty questions. _

_Okay, and back to kissing. _

Allen moaned into his touch as Lavi trailed his fingers down his torso and along the barely there trail of white that lead to his manhood.

_It just doesn't add up. . . _

Reality Lavi bucked his hips uselessly into the bed, half hard and frustrated at his inability to concentrate on his hotter than hell, imaginary bed mate.  
>Muttering mutinously, he dragged himself off the bed, knowing he'd wasted too much time. Not that he was in any mood to feel even vaguely guilty about it. If he was late for the launch, Komui would likely unleash the Komuirin or some similar atrocity and then he'd be stuck helping with the inevitable clean up.<p>

Launching himself off of the bed, Lavi headed for his wardrobe. He grabbed a large black bag and opened the closest draw. Diving his hand in, he pulled out a random handful of underwear and stuffed them into the bottom of the bag. Repeating the action for the other necessary garments, Lavi finished with tossing the bag back on his unmade bed.

Bookman didn't care about the state of his bed and he really couldn't be stuffed doing anything about it. He was, after all; tired, frustrated and persistently half hard. The best part was he was about to spend a few weeks rooming with the object of his illicit, hormonal passion. Now wasn't he just the luckiest person alive?

Having no idea of the time, Lavi zipped the bag and left for the Order's docking area. He was relieved to see that he was the first to arrive, bar a few anonymous Finders. He threw his bag against a wall and settled down, leaning on his bag and wiggling around to stop the spare pair of boots he'd packed from digging into his spine.

He closed his eyes, trying to forget about the demi priapism that was pushing into the front of his trousers. Thankfully his pants were sufficiently tight to hide his problem since hadn't gotten himself worked up enough for anything to be too obvious.

Sighing, he threw his head back against the bluestone of the wall, wincing a little at the crack of pain that shot through his skull upon contact.

He stayed like that for unknown minutes. Head back, suppressing the odd shiver from the chilly air, thinking over details of old wars.

Trying anything that could get rid of his issue before his partner turned up.

**A/N: I don't like this chapter. Emo Lavi is emo, no two ways about it. **

**Sorry about all the bitching, but I needed to set something up. **


	6. Motivational Conversational

**A/N: I'm going to ignore the whole 'Bookmen can't form attachments' deal for this fic. It's been done to death (with good reason) and it's not my favourite plot device.**

**Disclaimer: Never have I ever owned DGM. Never will I ever either. **

**Chapter Six: Motivational Conversational.**

"Hey, Lavi." Chirped Allen, walking into the Order's docking area.

Lavi looked up to see the boy wave hello to a few Finders, saw him smile that gorgeous smile. He watched Allen drop his bag next to his own and collapse similarly to Lavi against the dark bulk.

"Oh, sorry, were you asleep?"

The Redhead turned to blink at him, trying to appear drowsy. Allen had devised the perfect excuse for the persistent bulge in his nether regions. Morning Glory happened to everyone, including, Lavi was sure, naive little Allen Walker.

He suppressed the idea of a sleep addled Allen half masting in the mornings, one that he found more than a little appealing.

Realising that he had to speak, he fumbled around his seemingly catatonic, post yummy image of Allen brain.

"Well, uh, yeah. Not so great with the sleeping right now. Whole insomnia deal and such, which causes the nonsleep. Ergo nowsleep?"

_I shouldn't be allowed to speak. . . . _

"Insomnia huh? That's never fun. Have you tried asking yourself questions? It sounds stupid, I know, but if you ask easy ones, it can really help."

"Aren't questions kind of wakey? With the brain function scene and the whole thinking them up part?"

_Seriously, there should be licenses and tests. Ones I can't pass. _

Allen laughed, shucking his head back and wincing in his own head meet wall moment, just as Lavi had some minutes ago.

"You talk funny sometimes. Anyway, you'd think so, but if they're 'favourite book' or 'best memory' or 'ideal date' then you can just mull with them a bit and it sends you right off. Nothing you're heaps passionate about though, there lies obsessing and even less sleep."

_Why am I sabotaging myself? Funny isn't good here. I need classes or something. _

Allen's manner had darkened with 'date', he seemed unsure of whether it was the right word to choose. This was strange. As weird as Lavi knew he'd been, he was fairly sure that he hadn't made the reason too obvious. Thankfully, obvious was usually required in Allen meets Romance situations. By all indications, the boy was asexual, his master having put him off any lewd pursuits. Not, to Lavi's knowledge, that anyone had acted on feelings for Allen before.

It took a minute for his mind to catch up. _Ideal date, huh? Anything with him would make it amazing. Not that it'd ever be anything besides 'ideal', Allen is just a fantasy . . . I wonder what his perfect date is?_

"So what _is _your ideal date?" _Screw it; _Lavi decided. _I really want to know. _"Since you, you know, brought it up and all."

Allen shifted slightly, wriggling his back into his bag. He sighed, using the pause to gaze around. Looking like he was wishing for something really quite interesting to manifest and incur a change of subject.

"Well, I guess it'd be raining, the sky would be that pretty grey colour. We'd be near a window, close enough to hear the rain. We'd have dinner, maybe play a card game. Not Poker or any gambling game. I don't know, it's a stupid question anyway."

The boy bent to fiddle with the nonexistent laces on his boot.

_Not poker? Is this even Allen? _

"But you always cheat in cards. You're all crazy and dark and competitive. It's quite terrifying."

Allen looked up at the high, ornate roof. "I wouldn't cheat if it was hi—them."

"Suuuure." Lavi dragged the word, breathless for a second at the lost look on his friends face.

Lavi imagined the scene with Allen, though he tweaked the specs for his own ideal. Sitting near to the window and watching their reflections get rained on. Sharing a blanket maybe, Allen could be wearing one of his shirts. Their clothes would have been wet from the rain they would have just walked in from and they'd hang their drenched garments in front of the flickering flames of the deep set fireplace that took the edge off their shivers. They'd have food. Something simple enough for them to cook by themselves. They'd read or talk, maybe play the card game Allen had suggested. Well Lavi wouldn't read, he just watch Allen over the leather cover of some fantasy tome. See all the microexpressions and idle habits the boy had. And Allen would smile at him, maybe let himself be kissed as Lavi walked him back to his room. Absolute perfection.

"What about you?"

Lavi winced, he'd hoped that Allen wouldn't pursue the topic.

"Well, I haven't really thought about it. I guess anything would be good, s'long as whoever was with me was the right person." He stopped there, not wanting to give up his real perfect date. Keeping it inside let him keep the sweet dream for that much longer.

"You're right, I guess. It doesn't really matter. Especially since this war will probably kill us all."

Allen looked at Lavi then, a certain longing on his face. Lavi wasn't sure whether to give him a hug or to try and think of something quietly cavalier to say. In the absence of a handy Devil may care one liner, Lavi opted for an awkward pat on the shoulder. The reality was that the war probably would be the death of them.

At least death would solve one of his problems. Not that he could think of a less dignified way to die than being half hard in any situation. And, by the feel if his nether regions, half hard would be the way he'd go as long as Allen Walker was anywhere in the vicinity.


	7. Bump in the Night

**I can has guilt. Slow update despite holidays (very sorry).**

**This chapter was hard to write, I had no ideas . . . Anyhoo, if it sucks, review and I'll never try and make this funny (circumstantially or otherwise) again. **

**Disclaimer: Shocking as I'm sure it is, I don't own DGM. **

**Chapter Seven: Bump in the Night.**

Allen sighed, rolling over on the lumpy mattress of the low cost motel that the Order had stuck him and Lavi with. He kicked at the blanket, succeeding only in wrapping it around his slim, pale legs. He opened his eyes, staring blandly into the other side of the room, where the moonlight poking around the curtains framed Lavi's slumbering form as if in a picture.

Unbidden, Allen felt a desire to draw his friend. All angular lines with his naked back exposed in the unseasonably warm air, sheet clutching his lower half. A single leg was thrown down the side of the bed, sticking out in an angle the Allen could only assume was painful. Arms that were more bone than muscle languished on either side of his pillow and his face was turned towards Allen, mouth open in a huge, cheeky grin. Freed of the habitual bandana, his auburn hair spread over the pillow and dripped along his upturned back.

_It looks really soft. . . _

He shook himself.

_Not like it matters. Not like I care. _

The fact that Allen had no drawing talent whatsoever made no difference to the intensity of the urge. He felt an almost instinctual need to capture this moment, when all of Lavi's personas and airs were cast aside. Allen knew that as a Bookman the boy had been many people, had behaved in many ways and, though he knew it was irrational, he was bothered by this. He wanted to believe that in the course of their friendship that Lavi had stopped pretending to be his friend for the sake of history, and had started liking him for himself instead his being the so-called 'Destroyer of Time'. Foolishly or otherwise, Allen believed that the boy had turned that corner. His companionship didn't feel forced.

_Enough, _he decided, whether or not Lavi genuinely liked him was not important. _The Innocence and survival are paramount. Everything else is secondary. _

Allen flipped himself, landing facing the wall with more noise than was strictly necessary. He needed sleep, if he didn't pack in a few hours, it'd make his job that much harder and increase his margin for error. With the war against the Earl bubbling backstage, Allen could not afford to risk anything on a poor nights sleep.

Closing his eyes, he willed himself to sleep, lying in the naive hope that making the decision was enough to call sleep to his bedside. Using his cursed hand, he pulled the edge of the scratchy blanket up to his collarbone, grazing the rough surface across his skin.

In the darkness behind him, a low, susurrus growl split the placid night.

Allen stiffened, it wasn't the noise of an Akuma, and an endangered human would be unlikely to yield such a purr. There was a chance that somewhere nearby a dog or similar animal felt threatened, but their designated room was on the top floor of the establishment, and without a balcony there was virtually no way for that to make sense.

The noise came again. Lower and longer. The younger boy heard the tinge of longing in the letters now. This time, Allen realised just how _close _it was, much too near for an animal on the street or someone in another room. The noise was here, radiating from the dim outlines of the barely moonlit bed, not five feet from Allen's own.

_Lavi. _The knowledge quieted his mind. He felt guiltily relieved that he need not slip from between the lazily comforting wool blankets of the scratchy bed. Allen snuggled down again, forgetting to care about what had elicited such a sound from his roommate.

Allen was almost asleep when the shuffling started. A few minutes of what the boy sleepily assumed was Lavi rearranging his spread limbs across the surface of his equally uncomfortable bed. The breathy sigh registered only as the redhead finding a suitable position to rest in. A sentence was mumbled. Reflexively, Allen's brain woke him up enough to mutter 'Pardon?', though no reiteration arrived, only a satisfied moan. The snowy haired exorcist was awake now.

Cautiously, he rolled over, quite sure that he didn't want to know what was happening behind him.

A gust had come sneaking through the not quite closed windows, spreading the drapes and bringing divine light unto Lavi's prone form. Distractedly, Allen wondered when the darkness had forfeited this patch of night.

The Rabbit had rolled over. A leg was still lolling over the side of the bed, but the covers had slipped to reveal not just that slim, smooth length of caramel skin and slight traces of muscles, but the edges of a stark crimson thatch of hair visible in the junction of crotch and thigh. His hair still languished along his graceful neck and over the black cloth that hid his mystery of a right eye. While Lavi's left arm remained beside his pillow, the calloused digits of the right had made their way to a pert, flushed nipple, resting just on the surface of the skin; almost, Allen imagined, like a teasing lover. The boy's face had lost some of its glee, while still smiling lightly, those parted Pilgrims* seemed closer to moaning than laughing. His lean chest rose nearly indiscernibly faster, lightly peppered muscles adding the final touch to the unbearably sexual scene that confronted one Allen Walker.

Allen's eyes rolled over the whole picture, taking extra time to slide over those perfect legs. He didn't want to consider what he was doing, just wanted to take advantage of the situation, consequences be damned.

Lavi's husky voice came again, louder though no more distinct. The unintelligible line was punctuated but his right hand slowly slinking hypnotically to the triangular tent in the sheet. A tent that was growing exponentially with every fluid motion of those mesmerising fingers. His hand settled on top of the bulge, taking away the flimsy excuse the sheet provided and smoothing the cotton flush to his length.

The younger boy couldn't have been distracted by Komui and that ridiculous surgical drill. He eyed those hands and hoped for more. Shamed as he was to admit it, he wanted a show. And tonight was the night, because in the morning he would have to examine this event and what it might translate to.

Five feet away, Lavi bucked softly, unconsciously into the palm of his hand. After a few moments, his hips stilled and he moaned once more, head pushing back into the pillows and hand slipping back to trip a nipple.

_I really wish I could draw . . . _

**A/N: Calling lips 'Pilgrims' is a Shakespeare reference. Specifically 'Romeo and Juliet'.**


	8. These, Our Actors

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far (reviews are like crack to writer-types).**

**Disclaimer: DGM belongs to the creator. Oddly enough, that is not me. **

**Chapter Eight: These, Our Actors. **

Allen Walker was not a religious boy. So it was understandable, while confronted with the sight of a naked Lavi writhing under the meagre protection of a mere _sheet, _that he would be tempted.

Tempted was making light of the situation.

Allen's erection was pushing painfully into the unpleasant wool blanket and his skin felt uncomfortably hot and _sensitive. _This was not something he enjoyed.

It was, however, times like these when he wished he _were _religious. He needed a reason not to get out of the loathsome bed and stride over to Lavi, rip the sheet off of him and have his was with the redhead. Unknown subject of the dream be damned.

_But that would be wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. I just need to remember that, then I'll fall asleep and it'll all be over in the morning. _

A low, wanton moan rolled across from the twin bed.

Allen groaned, both in pleasure and defeat.

_Shit._ _Okay, dealing. Look at the ceiling. The oh-so interesting ceiling. Quality roofwork there. _

The shuffling resumed, only with short pants and the occasional animated sigh. Whoever was in Lavi's dream was _good. _Either that or Lavi was seriously long lasting.

Allen felt his cock jump a little at that idea. He winced as the momentarily exposed tip rubbed against the overly scratchy blankets. _So not going there._

_It's okay, I'll survive this. Possibly sans cock, but maybe that'll do me some good . . . _

Another groan rippled from Lavi's throat, all desperate craving, obviously needing a release every bit as badly as he never wanted it to end. The shifting sounds of Lavi vs. Mattress slowed down, each rhythmic slide punctuated by the reedy creak of the bedsprings. He was murmuring again, nothing Allen could hear, but the effect the pleasure drunk tone had on the younger was instantaneous.

Allen flipped himself over. If Lavi was going to perform, the least he could do was enjoy the show. He moved his cursed hand to his erection, sighing gently as the flushed flesh broke contact with the hateful blanket. Savouring the rough texture, he watched the redhead squirm and thrust.

Lavi's head was turned away. Chest heaving, fingers gouging at the thinly covered mattress in time to every deep flick of those slim, gorgeous hips. The redhead's erection was pushing at the edge of the sheet, protected solely by the tenacity of the soaked section of material. His hair, a dull mahogany in the moonlight, was speckled with sweat and painting itself around his skull and spreading over his pillow. The moon rays covering his chest revealed the light sheen of salty sweat that was collecting over Lavi, making him gleam with every fluid movement. The one exposed eye twitched in its socket and his tongue was poised between his lips, barely tasting the newly heated air of the Japanese night. The single leg not covered by bedclothes was spread at a sixty degree angle to the other, both were bent a little at the knee and Allen could see the muscles flex with every delicious thrust.

Moving his hand a little faster, Allen began to match Lavi's pace, hand tight around his length and pumping with a lazy regularity.

**. . .**

Lavi groaned, woken grumpily to the sound of squabbling native birds. With the vague intention of slipping back into sleep, he shifted deeper into the rough blankets and shivered against the cool air without opening his eye. As his mind kicked into gear and sleep fled, a thick, yeasty scent came to his sharp nose.

Mind still muggy from sleep, Lavi didn't register the scent for what it was. Wriggling deeper into the blankets, he winced as the sensitive head of his nether regions rubbed against the harsh, woollen cover. He lifted the lip of the blanket to confirm the reason for the pain. The scent of yeast strengthened.

Lavi raised himself onto his elbows and visually searched the foot of the bed for the pale lump of the briefs he'd worn to be the night before. Glancing at the twin bed beside him, he saw Allen's curled form without processing anything besides the familiar dopey, calm expression the fifteen year old adopted whilst sleeping. Sighing with a brief relief, Lavi stripped back the blankets and retrieved his knickers, pulling the grey cotton up his slim calves and along lithe thighs.

Slipping his legs to the side of the bed, he rose. Turning, he began to spread the covers over his sleeping quarters. Having squared the blanket over the bed, Lavi ran his hand over his handiwork to smooth it out. He paused when he found a stubborn section that refused to lie flat. It was stiff, scratchier than the rest. The redhead brought his head to closer, looking to see if there was an obvious reason why the awful cover wasn't cooperating. The invasive smell intensified, sending realisation marching into his head.

_Oh, Shit. _

Lavi grabbed his pillow from the head of the bed and threw it over the spot, barely caring how pathetic an excuse it was. Moving quickly to the window, he pushed it open, praying that Allen would sleep long enough for the scent to disperse. Running a hand through his thick hair, he strode to his travel bag and removed a pair of Order-issue, slim fitting pants and a fresh pair of grey briefs. He slid them and went to the bedside table he shared with the younger exorcist, tying his bandanna across his skull. Starting to feel more grounded, he moved back to his bag for a shirt.

Once the light fabric had settled lightly against his slouching form, he turned his head towards Allen, finding the slumbering boy looking oddly dishevelled, considering that the only exertion of the previous day had been lugging their bags from the train to the hotel room. His silver hair had dried in soft spikes across his forehead and similar stalactites stuck to his neck. The boy sighed in his sleep and rolled onto his back, Lavi swallowed as he registered the suggestive bump in the blanket in the area where Lavi estimated his crotch should be.

Lavi felt a small tug on the fabric of his knickers as he took in the sight. Small teasing fragments of his dreams last night began to solidify in his head, making his groan.

_God, I hope Allen didn't wake up. . . . _

**A/N: I know a few people wanted Allen to give Lavi a helping hand (hehe :P), but it would have mucked up my plan for this fic. **


	9. Mornings and Musings

**Sorry for the slow update, just finished SAC fortnight at school (I think I might have died a little). Any roads, it's holidays now so I'll try and update more often. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DGM.**

**Chapter Nine: Mornings and Musings. **

_Damn, can those pants get any tighter? _Mused Lavi, as he appreciated the smooth lines of Allen's lithe form as he worked towards the end of his ludicrous morning ritual of vertical one arm push ups. He longed to be able to watch more openly, to make some mildly perverse comment and to _touch. _To stride over to the boy and slide his hand right between those long, flexible legs and give another part of his anatomy a morning workout. This Allen, the one whom he entertained in those too short fever dreams, or between the sheets of his boxlike Order bed, would moan lightly and wrap those legs around his waist and use the redhead as leverage to swing himself up, joining their mouths and grinding his hips softly into his own.

He groaned, dropping his book over the taut fabric obscuring the half hard length he'd stupidly awakened. The real Allen didn't respond, wobbling a little on his red hand and spitting out numbers between shaky breaths. Lavi closed his eye, wishing he could pretend that laboured breathing was his doing.

Allen's tone changed, a tinge of relief beginning to colour the short words. Even without being able to discern the numbers launching from perfect lips, Lavi knew the younger boy was nearing the end of his workout, that soon he'd bring that tired body slowly down, to sprawl on the floor for a minute or two while his breathing smoothed its creases out. Secretly, Lavi hoped that his starched white shirt would ruck up a little, exposing a pale plane of stomach.

He shook himself, feeling the soft push of his length against the constraints of his trousers.

'I'll, uh, meet you outside.' He murmured, so busy not looking at Allen's flushed face that he wasn't sure the boy heard him.

The doorhandle was cold in his hand, he had to force his wrist to flick it open, pull himself away from the other. On the safer side of the door, his feet picked up momentum as they crashed along the short hallway and around the corner, flinging him out the double doors on the motel and into the hard shine of the sun. Looks followed him, not that he cared. Moving to the side of the motel, he slid down the wall, back catching on the rough wood. He propped the book against the knees he'd brought to his chest, splitting it where he was up to and trying to sink into the words. Resigned to the knowledge that the swell between his legs was going to have to go; either by boring it away or through some kind of pain. The page was bright in the sun, leaving the words too dark by contrast for his weary eyes.

Lavi pushed his head back to the dark wood behind him. With the absence of pretence, he let thoughts of Allen return –bowing to the inevitable.

There had to be a way out of his problem. It was absolutely ridiculous: Allen was by all accounts, completely disinterested in any kind of sexual encounter with anyone, and even if Lavi was wrong, there was the small issue of his _not being gay. _And so young, there was that too.

_Fuck. He's fifteen. Too young to be so hot. . . . _

"Hey, Lavi. Good book?" came the too cheerful voice of his vertically challenged friend.

"Uhhh. . ." the redhead's voice caught in his throat, "Um, yeah. Probably."

_Goodbye world. I'm done with this torture. _

"You guess?"

"Well, yeah. I haven't, uh, read much, and you know how books are. . . " his voice wandered into obscurity. And Allen was just standing there, smiling that innocent little smile.

Lavi almost wanted to shake him.

**. . .**

Allen Walker couldn't keep the smile off his face.

Lavi was obviously uncomfortable around him, which meant that something of his dreams had come back to him.

Leaving Allen torn between the potential fun of dropping loaded hints and watching Lavi squirm, or nullifying the issue entirely with some kind of reassuring comment.

**A/N: Yes, I know this chapter is filler crap, but I had major guilt over the whole 'lack of update' scenario. Have started an actual plot chapter which should be up soon. Also, anyone who hasn't lost patience with this fic can expect a lot less emo/horny Lavi and the beginnings of real Laven. Maybe even a damn mission for those two. **


	10. Boiling Point

**Sorry for the slowest update ever. Any roads, onwards with the story. **

**Also, thanks to **Rampant, Cheshirecat, Zexionenzo **and** Disatant Memori **for your ideas, you guys are awesome . **

**Apologies for OOC Allen. **

**Disclaimer: Guess what? DGM still belongs to Katsura Hoshino. **

**Chapter Ten: Boiling Point**

Allen Walker, while basically good, was prone to 'dark moments'.

"Last night was so _satisfying, _wasn't it, Lavi? Didn't you just feel so good when you woke up this morning?"

"Uhh, yeah. I guess. A good night's sleep can do that. What with the whole REM deal and the resting part. So where do you want to eat this morning?"

"Oh, anywhere, _Lavi. _But aren't you still full from last night?"

Last night's meal had been stale bread, slowly souring milk and some questionable meat. Lavi shuddered at the memory, unsure if the way with which Allen had allowed more than three bites to pass his lips or the fact that he had envied stale bread was what had him wigged.

Maybe Lavi was paranoid, but there was something in Allen's words, in the sinfully smooth enunciation of his name that had him wondering: Had Allen figured him out?

As they walked down the street, Allen babbling about food at eighty miles a minute, Lavi took a sideways look at his friend. The easy smile and happy eyes were the same old Allen, but there was something in the way the younger wouldn't meet his gaze that seemed to speak volumes, in Lavi's paranoia anyway.

What if he'd moaned Allen's name?

What if Allen knew how he felt?

Lavi wasn't so sure how he felt about breakfast anymore. Or life, for that matter.

"Ahh, Allen? I think I'm going to go back to the inn, can't say I'm much of a breakfast person."

"Since when are you not a breakfast person? Breakfast is one of the quickest ways to get you out of that noisy bed of yours."

"Since recently. Very recently. Uhh. . Bookman says it's bad for. . . my concentration."

Allen gave him an odd look, the first contact since they'd begun their culinary quest.

"Okay," he replied, obviously deciding not to point out the obvious, 'most important meal of the day' crap, "I'll meet you back at the inn in about an hour?"

"Sure." Called Lavi over his shoulder, already a few feet away from the snowy haired exorcist and pushing the distance further.

Without taking any particular interest in his direction, except to avoid smacking into anything, Lavi wound his way back to the inn. He ran a hand through his hair, moving rapidly towards the open doors of the establishment.

Entering his shared room, Lavi dropped onto the hated mattress; book still in hand though with no intention of reading. Letting his eyelid droop, he sighed. His body felt as if it were running on two or three hours of sleep rather than the nine he'd managed. Leaving the doona to rest under him, offering some protection from the hideous lumps, the bookman apprentice snuggled deeper into the mattress.

**. . .**

The food in Japan was excellent, in the well-qualified opinion of Allen Walker.

So by the time he got around to heading back to the motel at a leisurely walk, having blown the hour limit entirely, he was in a thoroughly good mood.

A good mood that only intensified upon entering his and Lavi's room: the redhead was curled on his bed, legs half drawn to his chest in a loose foetal position, hands furled to his torso in such a way that Allen was struck with the vague impression of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. His hair leaned down over his face, covering anything the eyepatch missed. His hands were wrapped around the vibrant green length of his bandana and his large feet were crossed over each other.

Allen smiled at the fiercely serious set of his mouth, strangely akin to that of a small child trying to appear determined.

_He looks adorable. In a manly way, though. Still kind of sexy, too. _

Stepping forward, the snowy haired exorcist arrived at Lavi's bedside, leaning down he brought his lips to snuffle the redhead's ear, words crawling from his throat as huskily as he could manage.

"_Ahh, _Lavi. Time to get up now. Or get out of bed, either's fine."

"Muh hmmm?" came the reply as Lavi's unfocused eye blinked into reality. Then, when the not-unappreciated-even-in-this-situation position of Allen's head came to be realised; 'The _fuck, _Allen? What the Hell're you doing?"

Oh, how Allen _loved _his new hobby.

"Waking you up. I _really _need you to come. While I was eating I heard a farmer talking about a massacre on a nearby property, smells of Akuma."

"Smells. . . Akuma? Why the hell did you wake me up like that? What the shit are you on about; 'time to get up now', the hell kind of crap is that?"

"Grumpy, much? I was just waking you up, so you coming or not?"

_Oh hell, _Lavi really didn't like the smirk on Allen's face, _what in God's name did I do last night?_

"Oh, come _on, _Lavi. You need to come quickly. Get up already." Chirped Allen, already halfway to the door.

_Okay, that's it. I won't take anymore of this innuendo crap. _

"Allen . . . " Even as he began the words the younger was already out the door and safely in the hall.

_One more comment and the little bugger's going __down._


	11. Dead Things and Bad Timing

**I have no excuses, but I am sorry. I'll try and update more often, I really will. **

**Anyway, here's a new chapter, it's so short it's evil, but it's all I have at the moment. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own DGM. **

Chapter Eleven: Dead Things and Bad Timing.

As the custom for this area, the cottage had bluestone walls and a thick redwood door with a roof thatched with dull straw. The single sign of abnormality was a fist sized hole in the nearest window.

It was the smell, however, that gave it away. That dusty odour of something akin to gunpowder made Allen's stomach lurch hideously as his nose relayed the familiar scent of the Akuma's blood virus to his brain.

"Crap." Groaned Allen, 'we're too late.'

Lavi sighed beside him, lifting a hand to pat Allen briefly on the back. "Not like we didn't try. Anyway, the Akuma had already been through when heard about it."

"But we could have stopped it. We should have, I don't know, teleported or used the Ark or something_._" He finished desperately, looking up at Lavi all forlorn, like a kicked puppy. The elder felt unable to hold onto his earlier anger whilst those forsaken eyes stared into his. "I just _hate_ this. I hate the Earl."

"I know," Lavi concurred, pushing his hand around the shivering shoulders of his friend, 'we all do."

He pulled the boy awkwardly towards him, for once thinking platonically of comfort. Though gleaning a small slice of satisfied pleasure in being able to be there for Allen.

A few seconds wandered by before Lavi reluctantly retracted his arm.

"We should get back to town. Might as well investigate the Innocence." Lavi turned and started back down the garden path, eyes staring off into the wide copse of trees that ran parallel to the side of the village.

They walked in silence, the rushing of the wind and all the typical outdoor sounds seeming a soft music. It seemed to Lavi that the walk from the cottage to the trees took longer than it should have, with and the chilled wind beating on his back and Allen's slow steps beside him. The silence between them was as delicate as a china plate. Lavi decided that he liked the sound of cracking.

"Moyashi~ . . . "

Allen sent him a withering look, but his voice was still soft with guilt, though it was still the first sign of weakness in the plate. "Don't you start, the only reason Kanda gets away with it is because he's got a sword."

"Whatever you say, honey." The last word startled him, he hadn't consciously decided to tack that on the end.

"Honey? You call that an improvement?"

And just like that, the plate cracked and the shards of silence were kicked into the dust by their heavy boots.

"Something else you'd prefer, Sweetie?"

"You're a jerk, you know that?"

Lavi didn't need to look at Allen to hear the smile in his voice, "Oh, you wound me. How could a strike like me ever be a jerk?"

Allen's bony elbow landed in his side, causing him to wince. The war was the best weight-loss technique he'd ever heard of, despite Jerry's best efforts.

The silence returned, companionably this time, and the two entered the forest, footfalls covered by the leaf litter below. Lavi enjoyed the synchronicity of their steps entirely more than he cared admit – lust was one thing, but he refused to be moony.

Lavi decided to venture a question that had been bothering him all day. With the Akuma attack he hadn't had an opportunity.

"Hey, Allen . . . "

"Mhmm?"

"What was the deal with this morning? You had a pretty major focus on double entendres and general covert filthiness."

It was more amusing that Lavi ever could have imagined watching Allen's face grow red as he tried to keep his features arranged in a casual smile.


	12. Star Crossed Almost Lovers

**Disclaimer: I don't own DGM.**

**Hi, Guys, I'm improving my update speed (not like it's holidays or anything). Any roads, just letting you know that I have a poll up on my profile about the plotline for this fic, because I have a few ideas, but I'm not sure what to do with it. So have a vote and inspire me. **

**I apologise for this chapter, it's all over the place and doesn't really flow, but its existence is required for developmental reasons. **

**Also, I know absolutely nothing about native Japanese birdlife, it'll make sense by the end of the chapter. **

**Chapter Twelve: Star-Crossed Almost Lovers. **

It wasn't as dark in the forest as Lavi had anticipated. The sunlight penetrated the trees on a diagonal slant, providing a thousand leaning pillars of light for the two to walk through. Allen's hair sparkled and shifted, caught in the light between the slow wind and the boy's movements. Lavi watched him, less in lust and more in admiration of his quiet, unobtrusive beauty. Sticks and leaves squelched with recent rain under their feet and leaves stroked their faces. The trees dwarfed them by four or five metres at least and their dark bark seemed almost sinister, despite the sun's best efforts. The chattering of scattering animals preceded them, the noise of their boots against the ground acting as an alarm. If there was a path, they hadn't found it.

"Uhh, what do you mean, Lavi?" Allen's words killed the pretty moment Lavi had found in his pause. "Are you sure that you're not just hormonal?"

"_Ahh, Lavi!,_" he mocked in an effeminate mimic of Allen's voice, the moment wasn't coming back. "_Time to get up now, or out of bed. . . _ What was with that, you're not usually a minx."

"Oh, um. That. I was just in a good mood, innuendo wasn't my intention. And after . . . never mind."

"Whatever you say, Honey." Lavi laughed, tripping on ahead. "Whatever you say."

"Seriously, Lavi, I didn't mean anything." Allen's attempt at a smile was strained under the clear panic he felt. "Hey, wait up."

_I just had to bring it up, God, I never learn._ Thought Lavi, cursing his curiosity.

The redhead had jogged on ahead, dodging trees as deftly as if he'd grown up among them. As far as he could see, literally running away was the quickest way to change the subject. It wasn't hard to see that Allen was less than impressed by the change in topic. Hopefully forcing the younger to chase him would give the snowy haired teen other things to think about, effectively putting them both out of their misery.

At his fellow Exorcist's, Lavi turned, remembering that he was the faster of the two. The redhead slowed his steps but continued to move forward, making sure to move slowly enough for Allen to catch him.

Lavi heard the boy's footfalls begin to trail off, turning around, he called back the boy, 'Sulking back there, Allen?"

There was no answering smile in Allen's features. Quite the opposite, in fact; his bottom lip sank so fast that Lavi half expected to see a dumbbell hanging off it.

"Look out," he screeched, invoking with the next breath.

The future Bookman turned, eyes widening as he took in the mutilated head of the Akuma.

Lavi had always found the Akuma harder to deal with when they didn't bother to transform. An Akuma was a thing to be destroyed, and a human was to be protected, even if as nothing more than an unopened inkpot for him to revisit later with a fresh quill. But when the Akuma retained the majority of its human skin and only bothered to mutate a section of the body, he couldn't categorise it. His analytical mind didn't know how to classify it, and without the semantics, he couldn't react as quickly as he'd like. Of course, his manual override kicked in swiftly enough to keep him alive, but he lacked the immediacy of Kanda or Lenalee, though wasn't quite as slow as Allen, who had to take a minute to deal with the tears of tragedy.

The thing winked at him with the cyclops eye, the other was twisted up in the barrel of the grey gun that the head had twirled into. The twisted grey mecha-flesh seemed stuck to the torso of the humanoid. The body held the combined arm/head at an abrupt perpendicular, giving the shoulder a distinctly overstretched appearance. The thing leered at him, adjusting the trajectory of the gun to be on level with his chest.

It almost made him sick to look at it.

"Goodbye, Exorcists." It rasped, half mouth sagging into the opening peals of a cackle, barrel of the gun starting to bunch in preparation to spit out a bullet.

"Down, Lavi."

The war had primed his reflexes to the point where even a Bookman didn't think when he heard that phrase. The radiant heat in the scattered air slipped from Allen's form as he torpedoed past, the created wind snatching strands of his hair, pulling it with the boy as his Innocence sped him toward the level one.

Crowned Clown's claws split the socket of the lone human eye. Fine claws gutted the soldered torso with near clinical ease. The redhead almost expected ichors to spurt from the incision.

Lavi saw Allen's jaw moving, and he knew the boy was blessing the misguided soul.

Finishing with the Akuma, Allen turned back and stepped back over to Lavi, plopping himself down beside his friend, snowy cape pooling around the two of them.

"Never stops, huh?" Allen's jovial words were belied by the soft tone.

"Mmm." Lavi, in all honesty, was less fazed by his almost death than the proximity of Allen.

As was becoming their custom, neither of them bothered to move for a few long minutes, Lavi used the time to examine their surroundings.

"Look." Allen turned to Lavi, eyes obediently swivelling to the direction in which his finger pointed.

The red silk feathers of a bird clashed with the soft green of the leaves of the tree it occupied. From its upturned beak wandered a sharp, sweet call, as if signalling the elimination of the threat. For some reason, the bird struck a chord with Lavi, resonating with something inside him. Something he wasn't mean to have.

"Pretty," breathed Allen, next to him. The redhead turned to look at his friend, smiling that they could share the feelings behind the bird.

The air was clear and a shaft of sunlight was shining right on Allen's face, glittering on his skin so innocently that it was all Lavi could do not to lean over and kiss him past the point of thought.

The moment remained true to its name and faded. As it did, the boy next to Lavi turned, eyes dropping to the ground in discomfort.

"Lavi, I . . . Well I guess I should say that . . . "

Without thinking Lavi threw himself over Allen, hand instinctively reaching for his hammer and invoking.

The bird had been wrong.

**AN: I'm going away for the next week and I won't have internet, so I won't be working on this fic for a few days, which might mean a slower chapter. Sorry. **


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